Bike Fitting
Giant Store Chelmsford is pleased to be able to offer a bike fitting sevice. Here's everything you need to know...
The importance of a bike fit
Cycling in pain or discomfort over time can lead to injury and potentially a long lay off from cycling. Perfecting your position will not only ensure that you are more comfortable enabling you to spend more time on your bike but you will become faster due to improving aerodynamics and power output.
Introducing our bike fitter - Nick Lyons
Nick is an exceptionally passionate cyclist who started his cycling life at the age of 12 with the Chelmer Cycling Club. He thrived at schoolboy circuit and track racing and at the age of 15 joined Anglia Sport Peugeot, one of the country's top cycle racing teams. Nick continued to improve into his late teens and achieved good results in national road races. Unfortunately a crash related injury ended his racing days.
Nick managed to return to cycle racing in his late 30's and started to train 6 days a week. Unfortunately being significantly older now his cycling functionality was different and within months he started to experience many discomforts. His frustration lead a quest to perfect a pain free cycling position. The most popular saddles, different length stems, handlebars, shoes, cleat systems and footbeds were experimented with. He eventually developed a micro feel, which lead to finding the perfect set up but it took hundreds of hours.
How Nick can help
Nick has been providing a bike fitting service at Giant Chelmsford since 2015 and has successfully completed thousands of bike fittings, which have included national road race and triathlon championship medalists and world triathlon participants. He has also been running an outdoor fitness business since 2011, which has further enhanced his cycling specific physiological and biomechanical knowledge and specialises particularly with saddle related pain and discomfort.
This wealth of experience, expertise and unique visual ability has negated the need for expensive devices and has enabled him to create his own, very competitively priced, fitting system leading to fantastic results. Whether you are a recreation/fitness rider, sportive rider, road racer, time trialist, triathlete, gravel rider or mountain biker Nick can help.
Position Assessment
Following discussing your riding/training frequency, cycling objectives and current and/or historical injuries Nick will make a cycling specific, biomechanical assessment. This will include your foot structure, general posture, symmetry and functional symmetry, leg length discrepancy, hip impingement problems, trapezius imbalances, cycling specific core strength and posterior chain (lower back, gluteal and hamstring) flexibility.
On the bike observations will include leg extension paying particular attention to hamstrings and pelvic stability, pedal stroke and foot angle, Q-factor, knee and hip alignment, saddle pressure paying particular attention to the often over looked pelvic pubic rami width, hand pressure, neck and shoulder tension, spine and arm extension in all potential handlebar grip positions.
Bike adjustments and recommendations
Adjustments will be made as necessary to your saddle, handlebars, stem and brake/gear shifter positioning and component change may be recommended, although Nick is always keen to optimise your existing components first. Cleat setting is included and arch support footbeds, spacers, varus and valgus wedges and cleat adapters may be recommended too.
Off the bike strengthening exercises and mobility improvement stretches may be recommended to help you counteract and manage any physical weaknesses and imbalances you may suffer from.
Complete after service
To ensure that your new bike position works for you and for feedback that Nick values immensely, you are welcome to contact him, free of charge, to discuss your progress as often as you wish.
Testimonials
"I have just had a detailed bike fit with Nick Lyons at Giant Chelmsford on my new custom built Giant Trinity. I have some ongoing biomechanical issues due to a neck fracture 2 years ago which have since caused me significant comfort issues on my previous set up. The attention to detail from Nick is superb and second to none. Nick was involved in the initial consultation stage for choosing the right frame size which he gave a lot of thought and the position of my tri-bars to give me the best combination of both aero and comfort. I raced on the bike yesterday for the first time at the British middle distance triathlon championship and won my age group. My comfort and aerodynamics were significantly improved and power output as a result of the fine tuning on my position. The bike fit undoubtedly was a significant factor in winning the race and gave me the marginal gains in what was a competitive field. I cannot recommend Nick and the team highly enough. They are awesome. Cheers guys!" - Vic Spain - 2023 British Middle Distance Triathlon 60-65 age group champion.
"Nick completed a bike fit for me earlier this year to get me ready for a year of racing! Nick was excellent, he was so friendly and welcoming and made me feel at ease from the start. He spent time looking at my riding position, how the bike could work for me better and was able to align my shoes correctly. After my fitting my riding position was so much better and I was able to ride with no further aches or pains. Nick said if I had any further issues to just see him again, around 6 months I bought some new shoes had some unfortunate niggles, Nick said pop along and he would sort them for me and he did. Nick also gave me some great tips on keeping my feet warm whilst out on my winter riding! I believe Nick’s Bike fit made me a better rider and allowed me to qualify and race for the Great Britain Triathlon Team including the European Aquabike championships in June 2020! I can’t recommend Nick enough, his service is fantastic! Thank you!" - Kelly Beaver, Chelmsford - Great Britain Triathlon Team
"Hi Nick, just had first ride only an hour because the weather looks awful for tomorrow. Position felt good, almost no pain whatsoever on right knee, back and neck. It was easier to get aero on either drops or hoods, felt more powerful and easier to keep the power going for longer. It was my left knee that grumbled a little bit but hoping that is just because of Brands Hatch. As a side to that I used heat rub on my knees before the park run and knees were pain free. So at the mo it's all looking very good. Cheers Chris" - Chris Bullock, Colchester Rovers Cycling Club
"Hi Nick, I’ve been meaning to text you for a while to let you know that my bike feels great and I’ve got no pain in my knee. Thanks for the help." - Phil Ramsey, Bishop Stortford
"Hi there Nick; Tanya here, big big grin on my face - thank you so much. 48 miles in ultimate comfort today 😃😀😄😁" - Tanya Roberts, Chelmsford
"Nick, Bike is awesome. Been for 2 rides now. 1 was 50km and another was 65km. Feels like a totally different bike. Saddle feels good too. Thanks again." - David Duxfield, London
"Hi Nick, three weeks on from bike fit, bike set up feels natural, changed saddle to Fizik antares open standard and have just completed a sportive with pain free sit bones. Many thanks for help and advice Barry." - Barry Arundell, Chelmsford
Making an appointment and price
To make an appointment please contact Nick on 07976 674596. The bike fitting will take between 2-3 hours and the cost is £130.00.
Nick improving Issy Torrie’s aerodynamics and power whilst eliminating back pain. Issy has enjoyed two successful seasons road racing at national level for the Liv Junior/Under 23 Racing Team.
Nick perfecting 2019 Junior National Road Race Bronze Medalist Aaron Freeman’s (Chelmer CC) position for his winter training bike.
Aaron Freeman has gone on to ride for one of the top teams in the U.K. and has achieved top twenty placings in some of the biggest national senior road races. Here he is pictured flat out in the televised National Tour Series.
Nick helping professional road racer Tim Torrie eradicate foot and saddle discomfort, after a successful first year professional season with the Vitus Pro Cycling Team.
Nick perfecting Alistair Henning's position. Alistair achieved 25th place in the 2017 ITU World Triathlon Grand Final in Rotterdam on his new Trinity Advanced Pro 0.